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and I think I remember it pricing around $1000 in the Nineties.
At their entry-level point now, SME offers the Model 309 at $2400...
Man, how times have changed. I shoulda bought in to an SME arm a long time ago...
Description: Low-mass tonearm with plug-in arm tube. Accepts phono cartridges weighing up to 12gm. Adjustable mass. Damped cueing control. Adjustable viscous damping on arm.
Dimensions: Stylus-to-base distance: 9". Overall length: 11". Requires 2" depth below top surface of armboard and 1.75" above turntable platter mat.
Price: $294 (1980); no longer available (2013).
Manufacturer: SME Ltd., Steyning, Sussex BN4 3GY, England. US distributor: Sumiko, Berkeley, CA (19862012); Acoustic Sounds, Salina, KS (2014). Tel: (785) 825-8609. Fax: (510) 843-7120. Web: store.acousticsounds.com/.
and I think I remember it pricing around $1000 in the Nineties.
At their entry-level point now, SME offers the Model 309 at $2400...
Man, how times have changed. I shoulda bought in to an SME arm a long time ago...
LOL
I though it fairly pricey when I bought mine.
How times have changed . . .
I still have an SMEIII in my collection along with the later titanium armwand and the Shure and B&O integrated pickups. Brilliant design.
I got my 3009 SIII about 1985. A local audio shop was going out of business and I picked it up for $80.00, never out of the box! Yes, it is a chore to set-up, minimum of 45 minutes. For the silicon dampening fluid in the damper tray I use a silicon fluid from hobby shops that specialize in high end R-C cars (available in many viscosities). They sell it for the gear boxes. Found a CA-1 arm wand for it about 10 years ago on E-Bay, nice upgrade for about what I paid for the arm. It is still in service today on a 1973 vintage Technics SL-120 with a Grado Silver cartridge.